A cqbpobation



M. RICHTER 1,705,500 CAM SHAFT SHIFT CONTROL MECHANISM FOR FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES March 19, 1929.

Filed May 24, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet r 34 INVENTOR.

AITTORNEYS. Y

March 19, 1929. M. RICHTER CAM SHAFT SHIFT CONTROL MECHANISM FOR FULL FASHIONED KNITTING MACHINES Filed May 2 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 19, M5929,

treatise MAX RICHTER, E WYOMISSING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSEGNOB T0 TEXTILE MACHINE W'ORKS, OF WYOIVIISSING, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

GATE-SHAFT SHIFT-CONTROL lviEClf-liAl llsl /l FOR FULL-FASE1ONED KNITTING MACHINES.

Application filed May 24,

My inventioin relates to full fashioned knitting machines, an dv more particularly to momentum-absorbing shift-stop mechanism for the lonoitudinall movable rotary cam shaft thereof, my main objects being to avoid the harmful hammer-blow shocks of such shifting shaft by gradually and progressively absorbing its moving momentum as it ap proaches the end of its shift in either direction, and to actuate such shock absorbing mechanism from the moving shaft 1tself. 7

With these main objects in view, and with others that will appear later. as the description proceeds, my invention consists in the improved construction hereinafter fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings forming part thereof, the novel features thereof being pointed out int-he subjoined claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 indicates, in plan view, a portion of the commonly employed longitudinally shiftable and rotary main cam shaft of a full fashioned knitting machine, having applied thereto a preferredembodiment of my novel momentum-absorbing shift-stop mechanism,

parts of the latter being broken away to more clearly show its construction. Fig. 2 is a corresponding side elevation of the same, partly in cross-section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a corresponding transverse sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 indicates a modification of my invention.

The full fashioned knitting machine above mentioned, to which my invention is particularly applicable, is of the well-known Cotton type, and in the accompanying drawings, 5 represents the longitudinally shrttable and rotary main cam shaft commonly employed in all such machines; and 6 the rear longitudinal frame beam also forming part of such known machines, this limited showing, to those skilled in the art, beingsufiicient to, fully disclose the nature of my invention and its manner of operation as hereinafter fully described.

Such main'cam shaft 5 commonly extends the entire length of the machine and is necessarily of heavy construction to withstand the severe strains placed upon it; and the large number of cams carried by said 1927. serial No. 193,828.

shaft are ordinarily so arranged that by longitudinally shifting the shaft, one set of cams is rendered idle or non-oifective, while another set brought into action as required for determined machine operations. and the longitudinal shifting of shaft 5 is ordinarily effected as heretofore and in w ll known manner by pattern control mechanism acting at proper times required; and due to the heavy construction of the shaft and its cams, and the necessarily relatively quick shifting movements thereof, considerable momentum is developed by said moving shaft, causing harmful hammer-blow shocks ateach shift in either direction, also concurrent rebound s rains. My improvements are adapted particularly to avoiding such harmful shocks and rebound strains by gradually and progre sively absorbing such moving shaftmomentum by means of a braking mechanism, so that at the end of its shift in either direction, said shaft may gently come to rest, thus reducing the noise of machine operation and prolonging the life of the machine by eliminating such shocks. hLly preferred embodiment shown in the drawings will now be described in detail.

Upon the rear frame beam (3, as shown in the drawings, is fixedly secured by bolts 7 and-8, abed plate member 9, adapted to freely support and carry an expansible clutch ring member-10 which, as shown, is parted to receive an expanding cam 11. A

cooperating rotatable brake band member 12,

preferably, as shown, in the shape of a cupped cover for said ring 10, rests upon said bed plate 9 and is axially pivoted thereto by a bolt 18 having a bearing in a central hub let off said cover member 12. It will be readily seen that the brake band cover member 12 may freely rotate on its axial pivot bolt 13, except as clutch ring 10 is expanded by rotation of cam 11 to cause frictional ring engagement therewith, said ring 10 being held against rotation by its operating cam 11.

To utilize this rotatable brake band member 12 in controlling the shifting movement of cam shaft 5, 1 preferably employ, as shown in the drawings, a lever 15, centrally pivoted at 16 to a bearin lug 17 indicated as an integrally formed part of bed plate 9; one end of said lever being pivotally connected by a link 18 to a forkedproject-ion 12, a regulated momentum-absorbing braking action is imparted to cam shaft 5, whereby the hammer-blow shocks heretofore inherent in, shifting said shaft are entirely eliminated.

In order to nicely control and properly time such braking action imparted through cam, 11,1 preferably, employ the rotary action of said shaft 5, as shown, through double cam 23, 2a mounted on said shaft, cam 23 acting duringv shifting movement of the shaft in one direction, and cam 24 acting in the reverse. shifting movement. In either case one or other of said cams or 21 acts on a bell-crank lever 25, as shown, through an anti-friction roller 26 adj ustably secured to the end of one arm 2Tthereof, so as to swin said bell crank 25 on its pivot pin 28, the latter carried in a bearing lug 29 shown as formed integrally with bed plate 9; while the opposite end 30 of said bell crank 25 is shown as pivotally connected by a link 31 to a crank arm. 32. Crank arm 32 is shown as adjustably fixed to the end of the outwardly projecting shaft extension 33. of cam ll, such shaft extensionv 33 having. an intermediatebearing in bed plate lug 34: so as to rotatably position said cam 11. It will be readily understood that by properly shaping. the periphery of, cams 28 and 24: in the construction above described, a. very nicely timed and regulated progressive frictional braking actionmay be imparted to brake band member 12 and through .lever- 15 to the shifting shaft so. that the moving momentum of the latter may be determinedly absorbed during such shaft shift to ent1rely eliminate any hammer-blow shock of saidv shifting shaft as it comes to.

rest at either end ofits longitudinal movement, and; also the strains of any rebound tendency. And 1 further so shape said cam peripheries, preferably, that at the end of the cam shift, lever 25 will act to free the frictional grip of, ring 10, in order that at the. initial moment of the next cam shaft, band brake member 12 and its lever 15 may be free to move. without retarding acti n on the shaft 5 such momentum-absorbing braking action only developingv as the shaft shift progresses. Spring shown in. the drawings is connected to a fixed part of the machine and acts merely to retain roller 26 in, contact with cams. 23,2 1.

Having thus fully described the nature of my invention and the manner of its operation, I do not desire to limit myself to the specific showing set forth in Figs, 1 2 and 3 of the drawings, as modifications thereof within the scope of said inventionmay be readily devised. For instance in Fig. 4 I have indicated one modification that utilizes the shifting movement of the shaft through a single lever 40 to both control the shaft shift and actuate the expanding clutch, ring member 10. In this construction link 18 is provided with a slot so that. lever 10 may have a limited idle movement before acting to rotate member 12; and dur-. ing such idle movement lever 10, through its projected extension 41 pivotally connected to link 31, acts to initially rot-ate cam 11 to free said iii-.nber 2* from the frictional grip of ring 10 so that said member 12 may initially be free to rotate as acted; upon by :t'urther movement of lever 40. This construction will act in either direction of the snaft shift as in the preferred construction. Other modifications and changes may be devised, all within the scope of my invention, as defined particularly in the fol;-. lowing claims.

hat I claim as my invention, and desired to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a full fasliioned. knitting machine, a longitudinally shiftable cam shaft having fined thereto a lever-engaging sleeve and a lever-engaging cam respectively operative by longitudinal and rotary movement of the shaft, in combination. witha momentunr absorbing shift-stop mechanism comprising a movable brake band having a connected lever operated by longitudinal movement of said shaft sleeve, a non-rotatively mounted expansible clutch ring frictionally engageable with said brake band, and ring-expanding means having a controlling ljever simultaneously operated by rotary movement of said shaft cam.

2. In a full :l'ashioned knitting machine, a longitudinally shiftable cam shaft having fixed thereto a lever-engaging sleeve and a lever-engaging cam respectively operative by longitudinal and rotary movement of the shaft, in combination with a momentumabsorbing shift-st0p mechanism comprising a movable brake band having a connected lever operated by longitudinal movement of said shaft sleeve, a non-rotat-ively mounted expansible clutch ring frictionally engageable with said brake band, and ring-expand ing means having a controlling lever-simultaneously operated by rotary movement of said. shaft cam; said longitudinal movement of the shaft being positively limited, and said ring-expanding means being adijustable so to provide determined mo.- mentum-absorbing frictional; resistance to said longitudinal. movement 7 said band and ring from the shifting shaft.

i. In a full fashioned knitting machine having a longitudinally shiftable rotary cam, shaft, a momentum-absorbing shiftstop mechanism therefor comprising braking means, and actuating means for the latter operative from the shaft to produce braking action as the shlftlng movement progresses.

5. In a full fashioned knitting machine having a longitudinally shiftable rotary cam shaft, a momentumabsorbing shiftstop mechanism therefor comprising braking means, and actuating means for the latter operative from the shaft to produce braking action as the shifting movement progresses in either direction.

6. In a full fashioned knitting machine having a longitudinally shiftable rotary cam shaft, a momentum-absorbing shiftstop mechanismtherefor comprising braking means, and actuating means for the latter operative. from the shaft to produce increasing braking action as the shifting movement progresses.

7. In a full fashioned knitting machine having a longitudinally shiftable rotarycam shaft, a momentum-absorbing shiftstop mechanism therefor comprising braking means, and actuating means for the latter operative from the shaft to produce increasing braking action as the shifting movement progresses in either dir ction.

8. In a full fashioned knitting machine having a longitudinally shiftable rotary cam shaft, a momentum-absorbing shiftstop mechanism therefor comprising shaft actuatedbraking means operative during shifting movement of said shaft.

9. Ina full fashioned knitting machine having a longitudinally shiftable rotary cam shaft, a momentumabsorbing shiftstop mechanism therefor comprising shaft actuated braking means operative during shifting movement in either direction of said shaft.

10. In a full fashioned knitting machine having a longitudinally shiftable rotary cam shaft, a momentum-absorbing shiftstop mechanism for said shaft operated by the latter to control its longitudinal shift.

.11. In a full fashioned knitting machine having a longitudinally shiftable rotary cam shaft, a 'momentum-absorbing shiftstop mechanism for said shaft operated by the latter With progressively increasing force during its shifting movement to determinedly control such movement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

MAX RICHTER. 

